


bite the bullet

by rites (Rites)



Category: Mamamoo
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, Multi, underground fighting au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:20:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24123505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rites/pseuds/rites
Summary: She tightened her grip on the water bottle in her hands, maybe a little too tightly, as her hold nearly snapped free. There were a hundred thoughts that coursed through her mind, each bringing more agitation than the last.Yong, you have to keep calm, she thinks deeply to herself. Get your shit together.An AU where Yongsun tried to make a living beating people up and things didn't go so well.
Relationships: Kim Yongsun | Solar/Moon Byulyi | Moonbyul, Kim Yongsun | Solar/Nam Yoondo | Eric Nam
Comments: 3
Kudos: 21





	1. they called her the queen

She tightened her grip on the water bottle in her hands, maybe a little too tightly, as her hold nearly snapped free. There were a hundred thoughts that coursed through her mind, each bringing more agitation than the last.

_Yong, you have to keep calm, she thinks deeply to herself. Get your shit together._

_Breathe in._

_Breathe out._

_Crinkle. Crack._

Again.

_In. Out. Crack._

She almost felt a sense of calm as she went through the motions. Like a machine on autopilot, she readjusted her systems and started again. The sounds of the bottle became softer and quicker with every twist. At this rate, she thought ruefully, it was going to burst. She worked faster, thinking it was not the only thing that was going to.

Warm, heavy hands settled on her shoulders breaking her from her trance.

“Hey,” he said softly with a gentle smile on his face. Eric sighed while he carefully knelt in front of her. Eric had always been reassuring, grounding her to reality. The hammering on her chest faded as her breathing began to slow. Eric gingerly took the water bottle from her hand and set it on the space beside her.

“It’s nearly time.” He said urgently, but with a kind tone. Eric has always been considerate and kind with her, the gentle hand that she could hold on to. “We should go.”

She clenched her jaw, scrunching her eyes shut. Air rushed in and out her lung in deep, quick beats with weighted pressure enough to crush the space between her ribs. Her eyes scrambled towards lights, the floor, the cold steel she sat on. Distracted, worried. Her eyes couldn’t be satisfied to look at just one thing.

_What if I can’t do this? What if something goes wrong? There’s so much at stake, what if I can’t get to Unnie? What if I-_

Then those hands again, that voice, touch her, ground her to reality and assuring her. “Yongsun, I need you to look at me.”

Their eyes meet, and as always she is calmed down in his warmth. A serene feeling trickled over her entire body, from head down to her toes. She drunk it in gratefully like a man dying of thirst would if given water.

Eric gently cradled her face and pressed his forehead against hers. She leaned in, almost desperately. “It’s okay, Yongsun. She’ll be okay. You can do this, easy and simple.”

Once again, repeating the cycle.  
  
Yongsun, breathed. In, out. In, out. This time, bottle did not shake in her hand, nor did it make a sound at all. Yongsun thought, there wasn’t anything about him that crumbled.

  
And Yongsun? Yongsun loved that about him.

She breathed in deeply before pulling away from him.

Yongsun stood tall, ready and sure.

“Okay let’s do this”

Static echoed from the four corners of the room. The chatter simmered down until there was nothing left but the heavy hum of light in the air.

The room was wide and suffocating all at once. Its walls were dark and draped with red velvet curtains on each side. Intricate chandeliers hung from every corner, lighting up the room even more. If one could see beyond the cigar smoke maybe they could have seen men shrouded in the dark, on their wrists glinting silver and gold. Maybe one could see their hands wrapped around a glass of fine whisky or a woman’s thigh.

In the center of the room stood a hexagonal cage, glinting like an extravagant web of gold. The Midnight Sun wasn’t anything if not exorbitant.

A spotlight shone on two men in the center of the platform above the cage. They waved out, and together shouted “Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome once again to the Astrolabe!”

“A dazzling spectacle is to be expected as always!” said the other man, who was much shorter and rounder. With sloping eyes and an even more lopsided smile. “As we reach the end of the final matches this year, we wish only good luck and prosperity to our valuable patrons!”

“Due to your invaluable support, we are able to provide you with world-class entertainment. The likes of those people who watch slop on TV can only dream of.”

“While our craft is definitely worth boasting, I’m sure we gentlemen can agree that this isn’t something we can talk over at brunch with our wives.” A rumble of laughs erupts from the audience.

“Now before we bore you to death with formalities, it is Hyeong-don’s and my honor to present you all with tonight’s beauties!”

The crowd all roared in response. The tall man, Dae-joon, raised his palm and quieting the crowd.

“First to the ring is our crowd favorite, a woman with no losses and twenty wins, a woman of ice and steel.. This lady is ready to rip you into half with her bare hands. Sporting a scowl sharper than an angel’s blade and a tongue faster than Lucifer himself, introducing the enthralling, the intoxicating, the beloved Queen of Ice!”

The Queen parted through the crowd effortlessly as if carried by the chants of her name until she reached the golden cage. She carried herself completely upright, her nose upturned as if in disdain of those watching with her eyes half-lidded. There was an air of confidence about her, while it was one thing to be a decent enough fighter, it was also another thing entirely to have the largest men be wrapped around her little finger. She waved a hand, the other perched gently on her chest as she gives a slightest smile.

She locked eyes with Dae-joon, and the latter continued.

“I’m sure all of you have heard of her by now. Not long ago, this stunning woman joined our lovely ladies and with her quick ascension through the ranks, she has proven that she has more to her than a pretty face. Introducing the dragon of the East, Solar!”

The curtains are pulled back in a quick motion, in the whiplash, the billowing cloth framing her form. It was all roars when she walked through, faces upon faces showering her with cries for blood. Whose blood? She wondered. Solar strode in with long confident steps, resplendent like the sun, her silk robe trailing behind like dark clouds. Like with the Ice Queen, they cry her name. Whether it is in support of her or for her blood is unbeknownst to her but she feels a thrum in her bones with every chant. And it’s during times like these when a switch inside her clicks. She isn’t Yongsun, the happy and cheerful girl. She isn’t Yongsun, the cute younger sister. Yongsun, the scared child.

Right now, this very moment, under the spotlights, under the glare of the blood thirsty rows of people cutting through her.

She is Solar.

_And who is Solar?_

The metal cage swings open as she enters. She slips off her robes and enters the ring amidst peoples cries, and Ice Queen sizing her up from head to toe.

Yongsun cracks her neck.

_Solar is also queen, and a Queen needs her throne._

_“Relax, Eric. The only thing she needs to do is lose. Easy enough, right?”_

_Eric couldn’t bring himself to._ His nails buried into the cloth of the armchair, the cloth deforming with the pressure. The thought of her purposefully losing made his blood boil.

_“Careful now,” the man said, “that costs more than you.” Eric’s hand twitched._

_The man walked from behind his seat to the one across him. He languorously settled against the padded surface and rested his feet on the oak desk between him and Eric._

_“But the money…” Eric carefully said. He kept his voice low and respectful._

_“Will go to those who deserve it,” the man said as he slipped a hand in a pocket of his pin-striped suit and pulled out a poker chip. “My bosses have a game in the weekend, Eric. They would like to enjoy their evenings with a secure pot.”_

_He flipped the chip in the air. Eric imagined and image of Yonghee strapped on life support before it fell back to the suited man’s hand. His lips curled into a frown and Eric’s mouth felt like it’d been packed with dirt. It suddenly became harder to breathe._

_“You have to understand, sir,” Eric pleaed, “we can’t afford to lose right now. There’s too much at stake.”_

_The man’s eyes narrowed. He perched his chin on his hand and said, “You’re right, maybe we’re leaving too much to chance.” He snapped his finger with his other hand and two hulking figures instantaneously appeared on either side of Eric._

_“P-please, sir, we just need one more win then you’re never see us again.”_

_The man’s eye twitched, and for a moment he looked a little crazed. Eric felt his stomach fall. A moment passed and the man closed his eyes, took a deep breath and smiled. “Remember who pulls the chains here, Eric.”_

_Eric bowed his head in defeat._

_“Now, be a good boy and talk to her.”_

Eric watches Solar with awe-struck but worried eyes. She looks stunning, despite the ferocity hidden in her eyes. Watching her risk her life always strikes him with worry regardless of her assuring smiles. She’ll chuckle in that lovely laugh of hers, but he knows better. There’s a tremor in her voice, and an adorable little habit of fiddling with her clothes, that always gave her away.

Solar strips off her robe, and Eric felt helpless. He clenches his hands until they are white and taut.

_“Yongsun, I’m so sorry, but we’re going to have to lose.”_

_She laughed, that beautiful, sweet laughter again. “Jesus, Eric!” said squeaked. “ I know that I’m nervous for the fight but you don’t have to go that far.”_

_“Yong, please. You have to understand, this isn’t easy for me to s-“_

_“-You can’t actually be serious.” Yongsun said, flabbergasted._

_“Eric, my sister is in the hospital and we don’t have the money to keep supporting her-“_

_“I know -“_

_“This is our best shot at getting money in such short no-“_

_“I know“_

_“Then you know I can’t give this up right?”_

_Eric could only look away._

Solar is _good._ Anyone who watched her fight could see that, but people only watched what they could see. No one could see the genius behind her. Solar was too good, too fast, for a normal watcher to see. Eric knows she could be more, knows she could be better, but no wishful thinking would change the fact what she has to do.

Solar ducks under Cat’s swerve and quickly lands two powerful jabs on the latters’ side. It was swift and clean. Cat cries out in pain and anger, Solar leans back as Cat throws a fueled arm towards her face.

Eric’s words ring loud in her ear as Cat’s fist hovered inches away from her nose. _“We’re going to have to lose.”_

In an instant, all Solar could see was red. No one tells a Queen to lose.

Solar snarled and brutally tackled her opponent on to her back. They fall and loud crack resonates in the arena. Solar pinned the Queen down by her shoulders then straddling her thighs with her own. Her opponent roared under her weight, fighting to break free.

 _I can’t lose. Not now. Not with-_ A sharp pain wracked at the back of her head as the Queen wrenched her hair backwards. Solar cries, strained, her right eye watering from the pain.

“You bitch!” the Queen hissed, “You’re supposed to make _me_ look good? The fuck are you doing?!”

Solar grimaced. “Taking what’s mine.” She bit into the Cat’s hand, and the latter shrieks. Flecks of blood splatter in the air as Cat pulls her hand out from Solar’s hair and teeth.

Solar reared up her fist, looks at Eric in the eye for a moment. _I’m sorry._

She isn’t sure who she says it to, but her fist cuts through the air anyway and makes a sickening crunch as it makes contact with the Cat’s cheek.

The undefeated Queen falls unconscious on the floor, and the crowd falls silent.

The hosts are aghast, their jaws hanging open but quickly, Dae-joon is shaken out of his trance. “The Queen has fallen to Solar’s blow!” he stammers, still shocked, like his soul left his body for a moment as he announced the winner of the fight.

His partner is still in shock, before Dae-joon slaps him out of his disbelief. “L-ladies and gentlemen, the surprise winner of tonight’s fight, the first EVER to win against Velvet Cat, the one and only Dragon of the East, Solar!”

The crowd slowly regained its footing and roars her name. They chant out her name, and Solar, like her namesake beams into the night. She throws her fists against the crowd, and she searches the room for Eric in the crowd.

She won, and every time she did, Yongsun always looked forward to seeing Eric’s smile. How proud and ecstatic his eyes looked at her. She yearned for it. Today is different.

Her heart plummets when all she sees is his grief-stricken face. She doesn’t need words to hear what he’s thinking.

_You’ve killed us, Yong._


	2. in which the author has no idea how to write more than 1000 words

Moon Byul-yi or Byul, as she insisted others to call her, was a simple woman.

She liked stuff like dogs, pretty girls and getting good deals at the supermarket. Tonight, she was lucky enough to have two out of those three things. She walked Daebakie leisurely as she swung the neon green plastic bag that was filled with choice pieces of meats from the supermarket just a few blocks away from her studio. _A damn good deal it was,_ Byul thought as she smiled smugly to herself, recalling the verbal sparring session with the meat vendor.

 _Damn, I can’t wait for Hyejin to cook this up later,_ she thought, almost drooling at the thought of having a meal that had more nutritional value than a cracker.

Byul never has and probably never will be able to cook anything more complex than instant noodles. She always prided herself in having good friends who could, however. Perks of living in Itaewon, she thought ruefully as she looked down at the bouncing rump of her dog.

 _Hey man, Is there something up with your dog?_ , Sandeul asked the last time he visited her at the studio. _I’m just a little worried, Byul, he said, he’s walking a little funny._ Hyejin, who had just finished practicing her routine and walked in, had a towel draped across her shoulders and shot her dog a look. _Unnie, your dog’s fat._

Byul huffed irritably then, getting into an argument that no, Daebakie’s wasn’t fat, and no, he’s not in pain and that yes, he just happens to walk _like that_. Still, a little exercise never hurt anybody and Byul had more free time now that the studio was set up. The free time won’t last though, what with the renovations being done in the nearby club, there would be more dancers making use of her studio.

She hadn’t been here long. In fact, Byul had only been a resident and business owner in the lovely district of Itaewon for two months. In that short amount of time, she managed to befriend a couple of locals, two of which stood out from the rest. One being Hyejin, a performer who appeared to always be quirking a brow when talking to her but was very easy to talk to when she got past the whole intimidating schtick. She worked at the Gentleman, the high-class club that was being renovated and was not too far from her studio. Hyejin then introduced her to Wheein, her bestfriend who happened to work part-time as a bartender in the same club. Hyejin started to drag Wheein to the studio after their shift ended when she realized that Byul was fun to talk to and maybe just a little lonely.

Lonely. Huh.

Byul saw her studio slowly getting larger as she walked steadily towards its direction. It was a modest thing. Two stories tall, with the top floor serving as her apartment. She got it off a good deal too. Sure, it was on the shabby side, and maybe she had to call the exterminator when she first came in but she managed to make a home out of it.

When she was half a block away, Byul paused in her step. She repositioned the handles of the plastic bag, putting them on her wrist as she burrowed her hand in her pocket, fishing for her keys. Daebakie started barking loudly. “Daebakie, quiet!”, Byul said, her eyebrows furrowing as she continued to search blindly for her keys. Still, her dog kept barking, tugging on her leash and practically dragging her. Her grip on the leash was loosened, and Daebakie took this chance to shoot forward, free from her hold. “Oh shit! Hey!” she said, “Daebakie get back here!”

She peeled her eyes from her pocket, running after her dog, when she stopped abruptly in her tracks.

In front of her studio, with her dog sniffing and padding around curiously, was a beaten and bloody girl passed out on the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter. I have no excuse other than I have no idea what I'm doing. Hope you're still enjoying it though sd;fkjgsldfkjglfsdjglfsdg

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, thanks a bunch for reading through t h a t. It's my first time writing for this fandom (which is saying it's my fourth time writing a fanfiction ever). I have no idea how to write multi-chapter fics though I do love reading them, and this might be the first time I actually do something like that. If ever. Hope you guys enjoyed it anyway!


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